A recent decision by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission offers an important reminder that adverse outcomes alone do not establish medical negligence. In a high-value claim seeking more than Rs 23 crore in compensation, the Commission dismissed allegations against a private hospital and two treating specialists after concluding that negligence had not been proven with credible evidence. The patient was a young man who sustained a right knee injury after falling from a two-wheeler in 2016. He was admitted to a private hospital in Secunderabad, where an orthopedic surgeon performed surgery for a tibial condyle fracture.
A condyle locking plate with screws was implanted to stabilize the fracture. Following surgery, the patient reported inability to move or feel his right foot and toes, although he had been able to do so prior to the procedure. He was reassured that…
